23.02.2026: Governor’s Address to the Joint Session of Maharashtra State Legislature

HON’BLE CHAIRMAN, HON’BLE SPEAKER AND HON’BLE MEMBERS
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the first session of the State Legislature in the year 2026.

2. My Government will continue to follow the high ideals of Rajmata Jijau, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule, Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar, Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and many other great leaders and social reformers in serving the people of the State.
3. My Government is committed to resolve the Maharashtra- Karnataka border dispute and has appointed expert advocates to represent Maharashtra before the Supreme Court to resolve this issue. My Government is implementing educational, healthcare and various other welfare schemes for the Marathi-speaking people living in the border areas.
4. Maharashtra is a preferred destination for foreign direct investment and Maharashtra contributes more than 13.5 per cent of the country’s total GDP, thus being one of the leading industrial States in the country.
In the year 2024-25, Maharashtra received the highest FDI of Rs. 1,64,875 crore in the country which is 39 per cent of total

FDI received in India. In the first half of the financial year 2025-26, Maharashtra received FDI of Rs. 91,337 crore.
At the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2026, my Government has signed Memorandums of Understanding of approximately Rs. 30 lakh crore of investment with various companies from 18 countries. It will help in creation of 40 lakh jobs.
5. My Government has prepared a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for “Viksit Maharashtra – 2047” and formed a Vision Management Unit aiming to boost the State’s economy to 5 trillion dollars by 2047.
6. My Government has announced the “Maharashtra Industry, Investment and Services Policy-2025” for the period from 2026 to 2030. Through this policy, the target has been set to attract investments of Rs. 70 lakh 50 thousand crore and generate about 50 lakh direct jobs.
Similarly, my Government has announced the “Bamboo Industry Policy-2025”, “Gems and Jewellery Policy-2025”, “Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality Policy-2025” and “Global Capability Center Policy-2025” to boost various industries and create employment in the State.
7. My Government is developing Gadchiroli district as a steel hub and eastern Vidarbha as a steel corridor.
My Government has launched a strategic initiative called the “MIDC Industrial Land Application and Allotment Portal (MILAAP)” for transparent allotment of plots through MIDC.
8. My Government has rolled out a new “Maharashtra Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy 2025” to make

Maharashtra a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. The policy aims to nurture 1,25,000 entrepreneurs and support 50,000 start-ups over the next five years.
9. Maharashtra has secured first rank in “Export Preparedness Index-2024” released by NITI Aayog in January, 2026.
10. My Government has taken a decision to establish the ‘Maha InvIT’ (Infrastructure Investment Trust). Approval has been granted to transfer selected infrastructure projects from the MSRDC and the MSIDC to Infrastructure Investment Trust and to raise funds from private and public investors. This initiative will substantially benefit the State by effectively reducing the debt burden and ensuring a steady flow of investment for new infrastructures.
11. In the year 2025-26, my Government has sanctioned 147 major road improvement projects of Rs. 4,478 crore covering a total length of 1,100 km to accelerate the State’s economic and industrial growth.
12. My Government has granted approval to extend Samruddhi Expressway to the proposed Vadhvan Port in Palghar district as well as to the districts of Eastern Vidarbha to bolster the industrial growth.
13. My Government has signed Memorandums of Understanding worth approximately Rs. 56,000 crore during “India Maritime Week–2025”, organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, in Mumbai in October 2025. It will accelerate investment and job creation in port development and shipbuilding, further solidifying Maharashtra’s leadership in India’s maritime growth.

14. My Government has announced the “Maharashtra Shipbuilding, Ship Repair and Ship Recycling Policy–2025”. This policy aims to promote the establishment of projects in these sectors along the State’s coastline.
15. My Government has taken steps to enhance the “Ease of Living” and “Ease of Doing Business” by repealing redundant pre-Independence laws and by decriminalizing and rationalizing penal provisions for minor offences. This initiative aligns with the Government of India’s reforms aimed at reducing the compliance burden on citizens and businesses. As an initial step, the Maharashtra Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2025, has been enacted.
16. My Government has amended the Maharashtra Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act. It will regularize the transfer or partition of land used for bona- fide non-agricultural purpose that were executed between 15th November, 1965 and 15th October, 2024 contrary to the provisions of the said Act, without charging any premium. This will benefit land owners in larger urban areas and resolve land title issues therein.
17. My Government has undertaken a “Comprehensive Digital Transformation Project” to automate the entire service related information of an employee from “Recruitment to Retirement” by integrating various human resource functions into a single unified platform.
18. My Government has established the MahaGeotech Application Centre to bring dynamism to administration using Geospatial technology and reducing errors in policy formulation.

19. My Government has taken a decision to implement the “Police Housing Township” project to construct residential quarters for police personnel, police officers and senior police officers.
20. I am pleased to inform you that the State has been awarded the first prize in the “Best State” category at the Sixth National Water Awards, presented by the Hon’ble President of India on 18th November 2025, in recognition of the State’s outstanding performance in water conservation and management.
21. My Government is implementing the “Mukhyamantri Samruddha Panchayat Raj Abhiyan” to foster healthy competition for development among Local Self-Government institutions. Under this campaign, prizes upto 5 crore rupees will be awarded to Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad for their outstanding performances.
22. My Government has decided to implement the “Maharashtra Agriculture-Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025-29” with effect from June 2025 to make agriculture more productive and sustainable through the effective use of artificial intelligence and modern technology.
23. My Government is effectively implementing “National Mission on Natural Farming”, “Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana” and “Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Natural Farming Mission” to promote natural farming. Through these schemes, natural farming has been adopted over 3 lakh 22 thousand hectares by 7,786 farmer groups.
24. My Government has decided to implement “Mukhyamantri Baliraja Farm Roads Scheme” to construct farm roads. Under this scheme, farmers will get durable all-weather

roads for their farming activities such as sowing, harvesting and transporting agricultural produce to the market.
25. For the 2025–26 season, the Government has purchased over 100 lakh quintals of cotton through the Cotton Corporation of India at the Minimum Support Price. My Government has also purchased over 60 lakh quintals of soybeans from 2 lakh 39 thousand beneficiary farmers.
26. My Government, has distributed an incentive amount of Rs. 20,000 per hector, upto a limit of two hector, to more than 7 lakh farmers registered under “Minimum Support Price Procurement Scheme” during the 2024–25 marketing season.
27. The necessary amendments have been made in the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 1963 to provide for a ‘Single Unified Licence’ to start inter-market and inter-state trade under e-NAM and to establish Market of National Importance.
28. The Government has exempted stamp duty on all loan documents executed by farmers for agricultural or crop loans upto Rs. 2 lakh.
29. My Government has disbursed financial assistance towards crop damage, agricultural land losses as well as for seeds for the Rabi season and other related support measures amounting to Rs. 15,576 crore into the Aadhar-linked bank accounts of farmers affected by natural calamities such as heavy rainfall and floods that occurred in the State during the period from June to October, 2025.
30. My Government has amended the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 to repeal the provisions pertaining to the mandatory Non Agricultural permission and the issuance

of Sanad for the use of land for non agricultural purposes. Furthermore, the provisions relating to the annual non agricultural tax have also been repealed and replaced with a provision for the levy of a one-time conversion premium for the non agricultural use of land.
31. My Government is implementing the “Mukhyamantri Baliraja Mofat Veej Yojana” to provide free electricity to the farmers having agricultural pump with a capacity upto 7.5 HP in the State. Under this scheme, the Government has given Rs. 25,087 crore electricity tariff concession to more than 44 lakh eligible farmers.
32. My Government has installed 6,63,324 solar agricultural pumps in the State under “PM Kusum-B” and “Magel Tyala Saur Pump Scheme”. Between 27th October, 2025 and 25th November, 2025, 45,911 solar pumps were installed creating a Guinness World Record. The Hon’ble Chief Minister received the award from the Guinness World Records on 5th December, 2025.
33. My Government has exempted stamp duty and registration fee for land lease agreements for solar energy projects on both Government and private lands to boost rural power supply under “Mission 2025 Daytime Power Supply to Agriculture- Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0”.
34. My Government has launched the “Swayampurna Maharashtra Residential Rooftop Solar Scheme” for economically weaker and below poverty line electricity consumers consuming less than 100 units of electricity per month. It will help them to become self-reliant in terms of power generation by providing the financial assistance needed to encourage the installation of

rooftop solar panels. This scheme will reduce their electricity bills and also provide them with an additional source of income by selling surplus solar power to the grid.
35. My Government, has implemented the “Green Maharashtra, Prosperous Maharashtra” people’s campaign in the year 2025 to increase tree cover in the State. The campaign aims to plant 10 crore trees in the State. Accordingly, about 9 crore 88 lakh trees have been planted under this campaign.
36. Under the ‘UMED’ Mission, the Government has formed 6 lakh 60 thousand women’s Self Help Groups in the State and provided Rs. 44,251 crore in bank credit to over 64 lakh families, creating 26 lakh 19 thousand ‘Lakhpati Didis’. To ensure assured market access for Self Help Group products, ‘Umed Malls’ will be established in all districts. In the first phase, approval for ‘Umed Malls’ has been granted for 13 districts.
37. My Government has decided to implement “Rani Durgavati Women Empowerment Scheme” to empower tribal women. This scheme will help tribal women to pay the beneficiary share required for various government schemes.
38. To celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Din’, my Government organized various programs across the State. The Government has also organized a State-level event in Nagpur from November 15th to November 17th, 2025.
39. My Government is providing skill development training to the students from other backward classes, nomadic tribes and special backward categories in Maharashtra. Under this training program, more than 71 thousand candidates have been trained and more than 18 thousand candidates have received the

placements and more than 21 thousand candidates have started their own businesses so far.
40. My Government has taken a decision to provide financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh 50 thousand per couple in cases of marriage between a person with disabilities and a person without disabilities and Rs. 2 lakh 50 thousand per couple in cases of marriage between two persons with disabilities to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in the State and to promote their social inclusion.
41. My Government has decided to conduct 9 types of rare organ transplantation surgeries costing more than Rs. 5 lakhs in Government and private hospitals authorised for organ transplant procedures at free of cost under Corpus Fund Scheme created with the State Health Assurance Society.
42. My Government has framed a “Comprehensive Cancer Care Policy” to provide affordable and advanced treatment across the State. Under this policy, a three-tier system is being established. It will help to develop trained human resources in the field of oncology and promote research activities related to cancer.
43. My Government is prioritising Skill Development Education in the State. In just three years, the “Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University” has expanded its footprint in Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Thane with advanced facilities in AI, Data Science, Cyber Security, Mechatronics, Industrial Design and Healthcare.
44. My Government has taken a decision to conduct the Common Entrance Test (CET) twice in an academic year for professional courses after secondary school. It will help to prevent

the loss of an academic year due to absence or underperformance of students in examination.
45. My Government has made students’ mental health and safety a top priority in this competitive era. The Government has swiftly acted upon the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directives given in the Sukhdev Shaha case to address this critical issue. By adopting the “Maharashtra Student Safety, Protection and Mental Well-Being Policy, 2025” recommended by the Dr. Hemlata Bagla Committee, the Government has instructed all universities to take measures to prevent students’ suicides and prioritize their mental well-being.
46. Against the backdrop of Marathi language receiving the status of a classical language and to cultivate an interest in technical education among students in rural areas, the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education has translated the entire educational material for all 154 subjects required for diploma courses into the Marathi language. Education is now being imparted in Marathi and English in 192 institutions in the State. The number of students enrolled in such institutions studying in Marathi language is 45,444 that is approximately 42 per cent of total number of 1,07,910 students admitted.
47. My Government has given administrative approval of approximately Rs. 3,661 crore for the development plans of Ashtavinayak Ganapati Temples, Shri Kshetra Tuljabhavani Devi Temple, Shri Kshetra Jotiba Mandir, Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar memorial site at Mauje Chaundi, District Ahilyanagar, Shri Kshetra Trimbakeshwar, District Nashik, Shri Karveer Niwasini Mahalaxmi Ambabai Devasthan premises in Kolhapur city and Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar.

48. My Government has established a “Kumbh Mela Authority” by enacting the Act to ensure smooth and well- organized arrangements for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027–
28. This Authority will plan and manage important services such as transport, healthcare, water supply and security for pilgrims.
49. I am pleased to inform you that Maharashtra has secured first prize in 77th Republic Day Parade at Kartvya Path in New Delhi for its tableau showcasing “Ganeshotsav : A Symbol Of Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
50. I am delighted to share with you that 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s era namely Rajgad, Raigad, Pratapgad, Salher, Lohgad, Shivneri, Panhala, Khanderi, Suvarnadurg, Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg in Maharashtra and Jinji fort in Tamilnadu have been inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, recognizing the brilliance of maratha military architecture.
51. To promote fort tourism in the State, my Government, has decided to establish modern, facility-equipped NaMo Tourism Information and Facilitation Centres at 75 locations in the State.
52. My Government has decided to produce a feature film based on the life of Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar to commemorate her 300th birth anniversary, in Marathi and other languages.
53. In the year 2025, to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, my Government organised various programs in Nagpur and Nanded. These initiatives aim to make his glorious history known to all and to honour his teachings and supreme sacrifice.

54. With a view to implementing the Maharashtra State Cultural Policy 2024, my Government has decided to sanction an annual grant-in-aid of Rs. 5 Lakh each for organizing District Literary Meets in all 36 districts of Maharashtra.
55. My Government is committed to promote sports at school, college and university level. My Government has honoured the Chess World Champion and Grandmaster Miss Divya Deshmukh as well as players of Indian Women’s Cricket Team Miss Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Radha Yadav and Head Coach Amol Muzumdar for the historic World Cup Victory, with cash prizes.
56. My Government felicitated the Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team and Maharashtra’s player Ganga Kadam from Hingoli district for creating history by winning the first Blind Women’s T-20 Cricket World Cup.
57. My Government is working to build an inclusive, progressive and developed Maharashtra by taking all sections of communities together.
58. Hon’ble Members, in this session, budget proposals for the new financial year, appropriation bills and other legislation will be put forth for your consideration. I am confident that, Hon’ble Members will participate and provide their well- considered inputs on those proposals to propel Maharashtra towards greater prosperity.
Once again, I extend my warm greetings.

JAI HIND ! JAI MAHARASHTRA !